


December 14th

by healingmirth



Category: The Unusuals
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:08:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/healingmirth/pseuds/healingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You had a brain tumor.  And you didn't tell me."</p><p>"I sort of did."</p><p>"You were kidding!"</p><p>"Well, it seemed rude, stealing your thunder.  You were freaking out enough for both of us."</p>
            </blockquote>





	December 14th

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elynross](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elynross/gifts).



> For Elynross, for all the obvious reasons, but also because I had this idea, and I needed to foist it upon someone. Happy Yuletide, _The Unusuals_ fen!

Leo woke up to the sound of someone pounding on the door to his apartment. He looked over at the clock, then checked his phone to make sure he hadn't missed someone trying to call him in to work. With no good reason to get out of bed yet, he wanted to wait out whoever was there, but they were persistent, and it was only a matter of time before one of his neighbors started complaining.

He rolled out of bed with a groan, stepping into his slippers and grabbing his robe from the foot of the bed on his way to the door.

The screen showed Eric out in the hall, alone, and looking less disgruntled than Leo would have expected for 6 AM. He didn't look happy, either, but those moments were pretty rare for their partnership, anyway.

Leo pulled his robe more snugly around himself, and started flipping the locks open on the door.

Eric looked into the camera at the sound. "About damn time," he said, but there was a bit of a smile on his face. "Do I get to come in?"

"That depends on why the hell you're here to wake me up at dark o'clock," Leo grumbled, and pulled the door open just far enough for Eric to see his face.

"Happy Birthday? You said to bring a cake," he said, holding up the bakery box in his left hand and the bag in his right. Leo stepped back to let him in, turning to head to a warmer part of his apartment. "I brought a six-pack and a bottle of bourbon, too," Eric called after him, "but we're due on shift in two hours. Brown's throwing a party; he'll be disappointed if you call in drunk."

Leo paused on his way to the kitchen. "Really?"

"No." Eric laughed. "I bet Alvarez is though. He memorized everyone's birthday last month."

* * *

"So, how's it feel to not be dead?" Eric asked, over cake and two cups of half-decent coffee.

Leo stretched and wiggled his fingers. "Pretty good. How's it feel to to you?"

"I've got a brain tumor," Eric said, and Leo looked at his face for context, still not quite sure when he was serious, even after years of working together.

"Very funny."

"Well, it is, kinda. You know, like irony," he added at Leo's dubious look. "I didn't say it to be funny." He paused, with a considering look on his face. "I should say I _had_ a brain tumor."

"So, what, you had one and now you don't? I know I've been a little preoccupied, but I think I would have noticed you having brain surgery or cancer treatment."

"I'm not sure. I think it got better."

"Got better."

"Yup."

"I went to the doctor, a couple days ago. He said there wasn't anything there."

"But you thought there was. You had to have a reason to go to the doctor. And you didn't tell me."

"I sort of did. That day with the thing in the restaurant? When we had that fight?"

"You were kidding!"

"Well, it seemed rude, stealing your thunder." Eric shrugged. "You were freaking out enough for both of us."

* * *

Two hours later, they were walking into the precinct, and Leo was still trying to understand how Eric could have spent a year with Death hovering over his shoulder, and not done anything about it. "So you just waited to get better?"

"No, I was pretty much expecting to die. You should be able to understand that."

"I wasn't waiting to die. I was doing everything I could to _not_ die. You knew you were at risk, and you just sat there. I know I was at risk and I fought the whole year."

"Maybe not."

"Maybe not what?"

Eric slapped him on the shoulder. "You know, maybe you weren't ever going to die, maybe you weren't at risk. Maybe you're adopted."

"Why would that matter? Its not like there's a genetic clock ticking for getting hit by a train."

"There's no need to be rude about it. Being adopted is nothing to be ashamed of. Hey, I hear Beaumont's adopted. Maybe she could give you some pointers." Eric grinned as they walked into the squadroom, and picked up Alvarez's wastebasket on the way to Leo's desk. "Now, I think a little housecleaning is in order."


End file.
